The times of old and the times of new
by StarkTony
Summary: Merlin remembers the times of old but Arthur doesnt. Originally M but only wrote 2 chapters as i thought it would only work for two chapters. Please R&R
1. He is coming

Disclaimer( the one and only in this story) I don't own Merlin I just enjoy toying around with the characters.

The times of old and times of new

-Prologue-

He remembered the time of old. The times when they would walk around the castle together. He remembered when they died together unwillingly to be without one another. He remembered his last words to him; 'I love you' he'd said.

_He_ always remembered but his love never did.

For that reason his life usually ended the same way. Every time he commit suicide unwillingly to live in a world where his love hated him. He was often alone in his incarnations. No Gwen, Morgana, Leon, Percival, Elyan, Gwaine hell not even Mordred. Maybe if someone was there then he would go on but there was always no-one. He never even had his parents. No Hunith and definitely no Balinor. However he would always find Arthur. And always a month before Arthur's 21st birthday exactly the same amount of days before his birthday that he first met him in Camelot. And Arthur would always look upon him in disgust or hatred. As per Merlin's nature he would usually find him well bump into him at the most inconvenient of times and Arthur would usually reply in more or less the same way either fuck off or would punch him.

He was walking home one night in 1920 after seeing Arthur for the first time in 100 years and he had walked up to him and kissed him fully on the lips and whilst doing so thought about his first life with Arthur.

Bad idea. This lifetimes Arthur was drunk and he punched Merlin for kissing him breaking his nose.

It was a cold night and Merlin pulled his jacket tighter towards his body. Suddenly a car horn sounded behind him. He turned around to see a pair of headlights getting bigger and bigger, it took Merlin a moment to realise the car that headlights belonged to were speeding. Merlin could make out two figures in the car; Uther Pendragon and Arthur. Sensing that maybe they wanted Merlin to get away from the side of the road he moved onto the path but the car didn't falter in its path; towards Merlin.

Panicking Merlin started to run. But he was too slow he could hear the car behind him getting closer and closer to his tiring body, he couldn't hold out much longer. His legs were starting to ache and before he knew it he felt an absurd amount of pain from behind him.

He was flying through the air.

Then he was falling.

Falling.

Falling. Until ..

SMACK! He landed on the concrete road and his body was in so much pain. Turning his head (which was a very bad idea) he saw the car speed away. Hit and run victim is what he will be known as.

'You idiot, only you would turn your head after being knocked over'. Came a familiar voice that was filled with love, guilt, pain and sorrow.

'Arthur?' Merlin chocked.

'Yes, bloody hell Merlin you had some nerve in the pub.' Arthur said as he bent down to hold Merlin's face he put his head in his lap.

'You remember me?'

'Hard not too when you kissed me'.

'But you hit me'.

'It took me a while to remember.'

'How long?'

'2 hours and 2 pints'.

Merlin tried to laugh but it hurt too much.

'Arthur?'

'Yeah?'

'Am I going to die?'

'No!' Arthur exclaimed trying and failing to keep his emotions out of his voice.

'Arthur.'

'You're not going to die Merlin. I've only just found you.'

'Prat. Always thinking about yourself.'

In the distance Merlin could see blue lights signifying an ambulance. He knew by the time the ambulance got to him he would be dead.

'See that Merlin, the ambulance is on its way. You're not going to die you're going to live and when you're better we'll buy a nice house in the country where no-one can disturb us and will live until we are old and grey and we could adopt a couple of kids Merlin. We could be parents! Eh? Imagine that Merlin us with kids? Just please hold on Merlin.'

'Can't. I'm sorry. I love you though'.

'Please don't do this to me Merlin'.

'Sorry'.

'Please just hold on the ambulance is almost here. Please, I love you Merlin. Please don't leave me.' Arthur hadn't realised that Merlin had already gone.

With a scream Merlin woke up. That bloody dream. He had it every night. Which meant he would be seeing Arthur again soon.

'Merlin, are you alright?' his best friend asked.

'Yeah, just had a bad dream'.

'Same one as before?'

'Yeah'.

'Well there becoming more and more frequent so maybe you'll see him again soon?'

'And maybe this time he'll remember me without being prompted this time'.

Gwen, his best friend had known him for his entire life, she remembered her previous life and together they had seeked out the rest of their friends; Morgana, Leon, Percival, Elyan, Lancelot and Gwaine but had only found the first four and only found Elyan because he was Gwen's brother.

'Right I'm going to make us a cup of tea with marshmallows in ok?' Gwen said and got out of her sleeping bag. Elyan who was with them hadn't heard Merlin screamed had now awoken because as Gwen was getting out of her sleeping bag she kicked him on purpose.

'Hey!' a sleepy Elyan protested.

'Merlin had the dream again go and comfort him whilst I make a drink' Gwen replied from the kitchen.

'When we find Pendragon I am going to make sure he remembers you. He causes you so much pain and misery Merlin' Elyan said as he got out of his sleeping bag and joined Merlin on the floor. They'd had one of their sleepovers the ones that usually started off with a doctor who marathon and usually ended up with them all sleeping over or being so drunk they pass out and sleep the night on the floor. This was one of the doctor who marathon times.

'Thought you're meant to be cheering me up'. Merlin cheekily retorted.

'See it worked' Elyan replied and playfully punched Merlin's arm.

'Yeah, yeah it did'.

'Right you two here are your drinks so don't say I don't do anything for you.' Gwen said as she handed them their drinks and sat down.

'It's going to be a bad week.' Merlin said.

'What do you mean?' Elyan said.

'People will be found and people will be lost. People will die and we all will cry. It will all start with a bang but end with a whimper and Arthur Pendragon will walk the earth once more.'

'Merlin snap out of it look at me' Gwen said she was scared but didn't let it show on her face. Merlin had never gone into a trance before. Sure he did weird stuff with his magic but he never ever went into a trance. Something was seriously wrong and if her suspicions were correct Arthur Pendragon will be coming back into their lives, truly and how he used to be once more.


	2. He has returned

BANG!

'Gwaine! You prick, you just dropped my bloody laptop'. A voice from outside shouted.

'What the hell is going on outside?' Elyan asked.

'Let's find out'. Gwen suggested.

As they opened the door they saw the flat next door open and a load of boxes outside it.

'Sorry Lance'. A voice shouted from inside the flat.

'You better be. Just go and get another box. Preferably one that isn't marked Fragile/ Not for Gwaine to pick up'.

'Very funny Lance, your fucking hilarious'.

Gwaine walked out of their new flat to pick up a box labelled fragile just to spite Lancelot, when he came across 2 familiar faces.

_But how can they be familiar if I have never seen them before in my life? _ Gwaine thought.

'Gwaine?' the man asked.

'How do you know my name?'

'It's me Elyan' the man answered.

'I don't know anyone of that name'.

'GWAINE! What's keeping you?' a pissed of sounding man called from inside the flat.

'Lance come here a sec'.

'Fucks sake Gwaine'.

Lancelot walked out of their flat to find Gwaine talking to what appeared to be their new neighbours.

'Hi I'm Lancelot' he politely said and reached out his hand for the neighbours to shake.

'Elyan' the man said.

'Guinevere but call me Gwen' the woman said.

'This is Gwaine, he usually can't keep his mouth shut'.

'Hey!' the man named Gwaine protested.

'If you don't mind me asking don't you remember us?' Gwen asked.

'Always nervous around me eh Gwen' Lancelot said before grimacing with pain. 'Ah what the hell was that?' he cried out.

'Elyan take him to Merlin' Gwen ordered her brother who quickly took hold of Lancelot and took him into Gwen's flat.

Gwaine followed and said to Gwen 'do I know you?'

'You will do soon enough'.

'What does that mean?' Gwaine asked before following Gwen into the flat.

Inside the flat it was dark and the curtains were all drawn.

In what Gwaine assumed was the living room was a black haired man and sitting next to him was Lancelot.

'Lancelot? What the hell is going on?'

'Gwaine, my dear friend come take a seat' the man sitting next Lancelot said.

Gwaine felt his legs obeying the man before he'd had time to process what the man had said.

He sat down on the other side of the man and the man grabbed his hand. Suddenly a wave of images passed over his head. Images of long ago.

A castle.

Knights.

Magic.

Women.

Kings.

Queens.

Swords.

Taverns.

More taverns.

Fights.

Fights in taverns.

His head started to hurt as he remembered who he had been. He had been Sir Gwaine. A knight of Camelot and a friend to King Arthur and the his knights of the round table but most importantly Merlin. The man sitting next to him. Merlin. The two were connected.

'Merlin' he said as his hand was released. He grabbed his friend in a hug and said 'it's been a long time'. He looked up to see that Merlin hadn't hugged back. 'Merlin?' he cautiously said.

'It's fine Gwaine, he usually gets exhausted after giving people their memories back. You two are the third and fourth people to have it done to you'. Elyan explained.

Gwaine nodded and hugged Elyan and then Gwen who had just finished kissing Lancelot.

'How could we not know you or remember you' Lancelot said.

'It's because you were re-born and Gwaine is usually drunk' a voice from the floor said.

'Merlin?' Lancelot said.

'The one and only', the voice replied.

'You right about Gwaine being drunk though, he still likes ale' Lancelot said as he helped his friend up.

'Hey!' Gwaine protested.

'You know it's true' Merlin retorted with a big goofy grin.

Gwaine smiled back 'yep'.

About three hours later they were in the local pub and everyone knew about each other's lives. It was just like they used to before in old Camelot. They all said that they preferred old Camelot to the new one where they lived. They had told each other where they studied and worked, Lancelot and Gwaine worked together for a man named Percival who they said was the incarnation of their old friend Percival. They said that they would bring him around the next chance they got. They also said that they were going to kill Arthur the next time they saw him for what he had put Merlin through, even though Merlin had defended him and said 'he didn't know me' and 'he did one time'. To which Gwaine and Gwen replied 'yeah after you got hit by Uther!'

As the day progressed Lancelot and Gwen explored the old feelings they had for each other to find that they were still their waiting to be rekindled. Before they knew it, it was the end of the day and most of them were drunk. As the nightlife started coming alive Gwaine found a woman and had just said he would meet her at another bar whilst he said goodbye to his friends, Merlin said he was going back to his and Elyan went home to his girlfriend; Elena and Gwen stayed over at Lancelot and Gwaine's.

As they left they bumped into a man (well I say they more like Merlin).

'Hey watch it you idiot' the man barked before pushing Merlin into his friends.

They looked to see the man who had pushed Merlin.

It was Arthur.

Arthur Pendragon.

The man they said they would all kill if they saw him again.

But they just remained stock still.

Like a rabbit in the headlights.

'Well aren't you weirdo's going to move?' Arthur asked.

It was Gwaine who threw the first punch and the second and the third until someone pulled him off Arthur.

'Gwaine you prick! Stop it! I won't have you hurt him. Like it or not I protect him and I won't have you or either of you hurt him!' Merlin said and helped the man up.

Arthur flinched as Merlin held out his hand.

'Get away from me!' he said whilst thinking _who the hell are these people. They do look familiar though? Why haven't anybody came over to us?_

'Look you prat just accept the hand' the man named Merlin said.

Grudgingly Arthur accepted the hand but grimaced with pain as he stood up.

'Right you lot bugger off I'll look after him' Merlin said shooing everyone away.

Reluctant to leave Merlin with Arthur they obliged calling goodbye and that they would see him tomorrow.

After they had left Arthur said 'why do I feel like I know you?'

'It will come don't worry' Merlin replied.

'What does that mean?' Arthur asked.

'Look, are you going to shut up. I need to assess the damage Gwaine did to you'.

'Why did he?'

'Complicated and a long story'.

'We've got all night' Arthur smiled at Merlin.

Merlin could feel his magic bubbling and he tried to repress it but found he couldn't instead it hit Arthur with all the story and emotions he had been building up since he saw him earlier.

'Gah! My head. What's wrong with me?' Arthur gasped.

Merlin knew he had been given too much information to handle at once.

'Come on, come home with me and it will be ok'. Merlin said to Arthur.

Arthur agreed, surprisingly and let himself be dragged to Merlin's apartment.

'Merlin, help me please my head hurts, I keep seeing these images of a castle and knights. Please help' Arthur whimpered as Merlin laid him down on his bed, sensing that he would feel better on a soft bed rather than an old battered sofa.

'I'm here Arthur. I'll always be here. I'll always protect you'.

'Merlin' Arthur whimpered whilst clutching his head.

'Shush' Merlin soothed and massaged Arthur's temples 'shush'.

'You know you're the first person not to make me feel tired after having your memories back' Merlin said before Arthur moaned again.

'Help me' he cried out.

'I'm here Arthur. It'll all be better soon. Just hold onto me'.

Arthur grabbed at Merlin's arm and soon fell into a deep sleep. Satisfied that Arthur was asleep Merlin let the tears role down his cheeks. He had his Arthur back.

His Prince.

His love.

He'd finally come back.

As he felt the waves of sleep come over him Merlin closed his eyes and smiled. Everything was going to be fine. Before he fell asleep he heard Arthur let out a whimper which Merlin used his magic to make better.

**The end. Sorry it's only a two shot thing but I could only see it going this far. Bet you thought that the Bang. Would be an explosion and the whimper would be Merlin and Arthur in bed. Please tell me what you think and check out my other stories and review them. It makes my ideas go faster. I have school tomorrow so updates for the rest of my stories will be slower. **


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